Sand, Surf and Sun
by SillyStringPotter
Summary: Chapter 3 is up! Lily is spending the summer at her friend's beach house, but what happens when some unexpected guests arrive? Includes Marauders & Arabella Figg. Please Read & Review!
1. Burkley Beach House

Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, I do *not* own Harry Potter. Sorry to burst the bubble, but it's true.  
  
On with the story, then...  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Lily Evans was 18 years old. She had long, thick red hair and sparkling emerald eyes. She had just last week graduated from Hogwarts, and was now a full-fledged witch.  
  
She was busy packing because her best friend, Mia Burkley, had invited Lily to stay at her family's beach house for the whole summer.  
  
Lily lived in a two-bedroom flat with another friend, Talia Hart. She had wanted to invite Tally along, but her and Mia did *not* get along well.  
  
"Hmm...," Lily thought aloud, "I might as well just take my whole wardrobe..."  
  
Lily considered the thought, and then, deciding "yes," she pulled out her wand and pointed it at her closet.  
  
"Minimize!" she shouted. Slowly, but surely, the contents of the closet shrunk down. With a satisfied sigh, Lily put her mini-closet into her suitcase and zipped it up.  
  
Stepping out of her room, she called,  
  
"Lia?"  
  
"In my room!" came Talia's reply.  
  
Lily walked down the hallway and into her friends' insanely tidy bedroom.  
  
"Dinner?" she asked.  
  
"Sure," Talia replied. With a swish of her wand, the table was set, including a platter of pizza and jug of pumpkin juice.  
  
"Yummy!" Lily cried, trying and succeeding to sound childish.  
  
*****  
  
The next morning, Lily woke up bright and early, even knowing full well she didn't have to/ She ate a large bowl of cereal, brushed her teeth and hair, and went to get dressed. She put on a pair of black capri pants, a green tank-top and sandals. Finally, she was ready to go. Lily dragged her extremely heavy suitcase into the living room.  
  
"Tally! I'm going!" she shouted.  
  
Talia came running into the room. looking quite hilarious.  
  
Enveloping Lily into a hug, she said,  
  
"Bye, Lils. Have fun! I'll miss you!"  
  
"Me, too!" Lily said, "Bye, Tally!" With that, Lily climbed into the fireplace with a handful of Floo powder.  
  
"Burkley Beach House!" she yelled, and she was off.  
  
*****  
  
Lily hated traveling by Floo powder. It was quite easily her least favourite thing--after Potter, that is. It much too uncomfortable to travel by Floo powder, but, it was fast, she had to give it credit for that.   
  
After seconds that seemed like hours, Lily stumbled out of the Burkley's fireplace. Lily looked around. The place was beautiful--elegant, yet simple, it was a prime example of what a beach house should be.  
  
"Mia!" she called, "I'm here!"  
  
"Lily!!" Mia cried, running into Lily's arms.  
  
The girls hugged for a while, then sat down to talk.  
  
"So how are you?" Mia asked.  
  
"Mia!!" Lily said, laughing, "We've only been apart a week! I'm fine..."  
  
"Okay, okay. Oh, guess what!! I have a surprise..."   
  
"What?" Lily asked, interested.  
  
"James, Sirius and Remus are coming, too!" Mia exclaimed, thoroughly excited.  
  
Lily was far from excited.  
  
"What?!? How could you invite them?"  
  
"They're my friends, Lil."  
  
"So? I'm your friend. You shouldn't be allowed to be friends with your best friends enemy!" Lily fought.  
  
"Uh, hello?!? You *live* with Hart, and you know how things are with us!"  
  
Lily sighed, knowing she was defeated.  
  
"Oh, fine, then. But they'd better leave me alone."  
  
"They will. They've grown up a lot."  
  
"They better've."  
  
Mia and Lily talked for a little while more, and then at Mia's suggestion decided to go down to the beach.  
  
"Okay, just let me change," Lily said, searching for her bathing suit, "Found it!"  
  
Lily rushed upstairs to change. Her bathing suit was a simple black bikini, but it looked fantastic on her, and beautifully set off her fiery hair.  
  
"Ready!!" she cried, bounding down the stairs.  
  
"Lets go," Mia said.  
  
*****  
  
During her Hogwarts years, Mia Burkley was considered one of the prettiest girls at school. She had long, silky, dark blonde hair, green eyes specked with gold, and was fairly tall--around 5'7". She was wearing a deep purple bathing suit, and needless to say, she looked gorgeous.  
  
"Here we are," Mia said, pointing to some beach chairs.  
  
"Wow...nice beach," Lily commented.  
  
"Yeah, it's great, isn't it?" replied Mia.  
  
The beach had atleast a mile of white-gold sand, which was met by surprisingly warm turquoise water. It looked like a scene from a postcard, kids playing in the sand, umbrellas dotting the beach, it was heaven.  
  
"So...," Lily said, at a loss for words.  
  
"Heard from Bella lately?" asked Mia, raising her sunglasses.  
  
Arabella "Bella" Figg was the girls' other best friend. She had gone to Hogwarts with them up to fifth year, but then her family had moved to France and she transferred to Beauxbatons.  
  
"No," Lily replied, "Have you?"  
  
Mia shook her head.  
  
"I owled her a few days ago, so I'm expecting her reply soon."  
  
"Hmm..."  
  
*****  
  
The girls spent the rest of the afternoon chatting, talking about everything from boyfriends to their plans for summer.  
  
"...and we'll have to go flying, Daddy just bought me a new broom," Mia had said.  
  
"...this is going to be the best summer yet!" Lily replied.  
  
When the sun began to dip behind the violently blue mountains, Mia and Lily headed up to the house several skin-tones darker than before.  
  
"So, when are they coming?" asked Lily.  
  
"Um...tomorrow, around lunch, I think, " Mia replied, looking at the sky.  
  
"You know, it might even be fun...," Lily mused, "If they have grown up, that is."  
  
"Of course it'll be fun, Lils," Mia said, smiling. She had always known Lily liked James.  
  
*****  
  
The girls made it up to the house, and were now seated in the kitchen. The kitchen was large and spacious, with hard-wood floors and stainless steel appliances...not that they used them much, being wizards and all.  
  
"You hungry?" Mia asked, getting up from the table.  
  
"A bit...I'll just have a sandwich."  
  
"Okay, I can do that. What kind?"  
  
"Ooh, ooh, ooh, PB & J!" Lily cried, sounding like a two-year-old.  
  
Mia burst out laughing.   
  
"What?" Lily asked, indignantly, "I never get PB & J at my house!"  
  
Mia shook her head in pity, and made Lily's sandwich.  
  
"You want to eat outside?" Mia asked.  
  
Lily nodded and followed Mia outside.  
  
*****  
  
Lily finished up her sandwich. It was delicous. Just then. a large snowy owl flew over to Mia.  
  
"Oh..." she said, faintly.  
  
Lily watched Mia read the letter. At the end, she was positively glowing.  
  
"Lily," she said slowly, "I have some extraordinarily good news!"  
  
Lily perked up, looking excited.  
  
"What?" she asked, "Is that from Bella?!?"  
  
"Yes...and guess what!" Mia exclaimed, "She's coming here for the summer!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
"Oh, my Merlin! She is?" Lily squealed, 'Why didn't you tell me before?"  
  
"I didn't want to say anything until it was for sure..."  
  
"Oh!! So when is she coming?"  
  
"Well, says here she's coming by Floo powder, so she should be here tomorrow afternoon."  
  
Lily squealed with excitement.  
  
"This, " she said, "really is going to be the *best* summer *ever*!"  
  
*****  
  
Lily and Mia ended up sleeping outside on lawn chairs. The chairs were actually pretty confortable. They woke late, around 10:00.  
  
"Mia! It's 10:00!" Lily exclaimed, trying to wake her friend.  
  
"Oh...," groaned Mia, "Fine...I'll get up..."  
  
Mia finally got up and the girls got dressed. Lily pulled her hair into a ponytail and put on a pair of denim shorts and a blue halter top. Mia left her hair down, and wore a cordoroy skirt and black tank top.  
  
"Ugh...they're going to be here soon!" Lily said, wondering why she cared so much.  
  
*****  
  
Sirius and Remus were at James's flat getting ready to go to the Burkley's beach house.  
  
"Lily's going to be there..." Sirius said.  
  
"So? Why would I care?" James replied.  
  
"Just thought you would...."  
  
"You guys ready?" Remus asked, getting impatient, "You know, it's impolite to be late."  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we're ready."  
  
The boys dragged their belongings over to the fireplace, and, one by one Floo-powdered to Mia's. James was last, and when he stumbled out of the fire place, he spotted Lily.  
  
"How's my favourite red head?" he asked, smirking, "Did you miss me?"  
  
Lily smiled sweetly, and replied,  
  
"Don't flatter yourself, Jamsie."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Aww.....  
  
So thats it. Well, obviously. The next chapters are going to be better, this one just set everything up, but still review, okay? It's the button right there. You know what to do. Do it.  
  
*Laughs* If you like it, I'll have the next chapter up soon. If you don't like it, you can find me crying in my room.   
  
Bye...  
  
*Lily~Pad* 


	2. Matchmakers & Poisonous Lunches

Hi. Sorry it took so long to get this up, but my computer *just* got fixed, and my first draft of this sucked pretty badly. Thanks to all of my reviewers, I love them, so keep doing it!!  
  
Starting in...  
  
3...  
  
2..  
  
1.  
  
Go.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
So what if he'd lied? Did it really matter if he cared that Lily was here? It sure mattered to him. James couldn't tear his eyes off of her. She looked amazing. He loved the way her hair fell just past her shoulders, in soft red waves. He loved the way her eyes sparkled, whether she was happy or angry. He loved the way she tried to insult him. He loved the way she cringed when he rumpled up his hair. He loved---her.  
  
"Aw, Lily, don't be harsh," he teased, and then, without fully realizing what he was doing, and why, James took a few steps closer to Lily, and enveloped her in a bear hug.  
  
Lily made a face of disgust and pushed him away. "Potter," she said, "Those days are over."  
  
Lily and James had dated in 5th year, but after James played a prank on her, (which was incredibly funny to him), and embarrassed her in front of the whole school, (he didn't think it was that bad), she had broken up with him. They had tried to stay friends, as they (somewhat) enjoyed each others company, but it never really worked out. They grew further and further apart, until they just smiled at each other in the hallways.  
  
James was opening his mouth to reply, when there was a loud thump, bump and "Hey, I'm here!" from the fireplace.  
  
He swivelled on his heels to see who had arrived. Mia hadn't said anybody else was coming...  
  
Arabella Figg had arrived. She was covered, head to toe, in soot, and still looked great. Her long, dark hair was barely out of place, which was quite a feat considering she had just come from France. Although covered in soot, it was clear that she hadn't given up her habit of always being in fashion.   
  
~*~*~  
  
"Bella!!" Lily squealed, seeing her friend tumble out of the fireplace.  
  
"Lily!!" Bella squealed right back.  
  
"Bella!" Mia cried, running in from the kitchen, where she had been preparing lunch.  
  
"Mia!!" Bella cried.  
  
"If you girls don't stop this, we're going to go deaf," Sirius joked.  
  
Lily glared at him. Why, oh why, had Mia thought it would be fun to invite *them*? Now she was stuck for the *entire* summer with her ex and his buddies, although Remus wasn't altogether that bad.  
  
Bella turned in circles, taking in all who were here. Her gaze stopped on Remus.  
  
"Remus," she said, her tone flat.  
  
"Oh...," Mia breathed, "Sorry. I forgot..."  
  
Bella and Remus had a complicated past. They had been quite good *friends* up until fifth year, when Bella moved away. Remus had said that if she really loved him, he wouldn't leave, which infuriated Bella, who fought back saying that it's not her decision where she can stay, and that she should be happy for her. They fought for weeks, until Bella had to go. They didn't say good-bye, didn't say nothing. They left it at "Just go, Bella" and "I hate you, Remus."  
  
Remus blew out the air he was holding.  
  
"Bella...," he said, quietly, "We should talk..."  
  
Bella nodded. "Okay."  
  
Mia showed them to the living room, where they could sit and talk in private. She quickly walked back to the hall, where Lily, Sirius and James were standing, looking uncomfortable.  
  
"Mia...how could you forget?" Lily accused.  
  
"It's all part of my plan," Mia giggled, "They were so perfect together. By the end of summer, they will be together. You guys want to help?"  
  
Lily nodded insanely. She knew how happy Bella had been with Remus, and knew how much it hurt her when she had to go. Mia was right, they did belong together. And they would be together.  
  
Lily Evans and Mia Burkley were, quite possibly, the worlds greatest match-makers. *They* were the ones who set up Bella and Remus. Mia had been the one to set up Lily and James, although *that* one didn't turn out right.  
  
"Sirius? James? You in?"  
  
Sirius looked at James.  
  
"We're in."  
  
"Good. Then it's settled. Operation Bella & Remus is a go."  
  
Lily burst out laughing. "You've named it, Mia?"  
  
"No...just always wanted to say something like that..."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Bella did not want to sit down. She thought it showed weakness, which was one thing she would never show in front of Remus Lupin. He wanted to apologize. Lets move on, he said. It was all troll dung to Bella. If there was one thing she was not, it was forgiving.  
  
"Bella," Remus protested, "Would you just accept my apology?"  
  
"No!" Bella half-shouted, "I won't. You don't deserve it, not one bit."  
  
Remus sighed. He knew Bella. She was not one to break down and forgive someone. But come on, the "incident" was over three years ago!   
  
"How come I don't deserve it?"  
  
"Because," she said, "At a very, extremely hard time for me, all you could think of was yourself."  
  
"Well, sor-ry, Bella! I've apologized thousands of times! Would you just grow up and put this behind us?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Bella, I'm sorry. Really, I am. I'm not going to say it anymore. At the time, I was a stupid 15-year-old who was in love. How would you have felt if I had moved away, huh?"  
  
The corners of Bella's mouth twitched a little. "Remus Lupin," she said, "You are such a girl."  
  
~*~*~  
  
"Ugh," complained James, "How long are they going to be?!"  
  
"Remus and Bella in a room together?" Lily commented, "Mia, you didn't leave any sharp objects in there, did you?"  
  
Mia laughed. "Nah, they'll have to kill each other with their fingernails."  
  
Maybe Remus wouldn't, but Bella would.  
  
~*~*~  
  
To everyone's shock and surprise, Bella and Remus emerged from the living room, both alive....and *laughing*.  
  
"What happened?" Lily asked, curiously.  
  
"Truce," Remus said simply.  
  
"Ah."  
  
~*~*~  
  
"I'm starved," Sirius complained, "Where's lunch."  
  
"In there," Mia said, pointing to the kitchen, "All you have to do is make it."  
  
"Okay," Sirius said, grinning slyly, "Maybe I will. Prongs, Moony, you're helping." "We," said Sirius, looking directly at Mia, "Will make an utterly delicious lunch."  
  
"Oh, no," Lily said, as the three boys disappeared into the kitchen, "They're going to poison it or something."  
  
~*~*~  
  
Mia Burkley had set her sights on none other than Sirius Black. She didn't dare breath a word of it to Lily, because she knew she'd just ridicule her, Mia, on her choice of boyfriend. But Bella, Bella was different. You could tell her stuff, anything at all, and she'd just listen without judging you at all. It was nice, to talk to Bella. Refreshing, really, to get loads of things of your chest without being judged, or ridiculed, or insulted.  
  
Mia, Lily and Bella were lounging on the sun deck, waiting for their lunch. The sun deck was very comfortable indeed. It was furnished with *chaise lounges* with incredibly soft, squishy cushions. There were darling little black wrought iron and glass tables, and many plants, starving for water in the hot sun. The sun deck over looked the gardens, where Mrs. Burkley grew her prize-winning flowers, and the ponds, which were adorned with lily pads. The ponds, no doubt, were Lily's favourite.  
  
"So, what's new with you?" Bella asked Lily.  
  
"Not much, really. But in October," Lily said, getting excited, "I start my training."  
  
Lily was training to be a Charms professor. It was her best subject at school, and she loved it, so she thought, Why not make a living from it? She intended to get a position at Hogwarts, because no other school would do.   
  
"Sounds fun," Bella said sarcastically. Bella had always hated Charms. "How 'bout you, Mi-Mi?" Bella asked, using Mia's detested nickname.  
  
Mia groaned. "I," she said pompously, "am boyfriend-hunting."  
  
Now it was Lily's turn to groan. She knew who Mia meant by that. "Mia, don't tell me you're after Sirius again!"  
  
"Alright, I won't," she said, giggly, "Bella...tell us about France..."  
  
Bella had been rambling on about the Eiffel Tower, and Paris, for twenty minutes, when Sirius, James and Remus entered, each carrying a tray laden with food. They set them down on the little glass tables.  
  
"Enjoy," Sirius said proudly.  
  
"Bon appetit," Remus said, looking pointedly at Bella.  
  
~*~*~  
  
The food, amazingly, was delicious. Contrary to Lily's beliefs, it was not laced with poison or anything undesirable.  
  
"Well!" Sirius said, smirking, "Guess we proved you wrong!"  
  
"Guess you did," Mia complimented, placing her white linen napkin on her plate.  
  
James smirked and raised his eyebrows.  
  
"Beach, anyone?"  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Dun, dun, dun. *Laughs* Beach antics ensue in the next chapter. Antics? Ensue? Nice words, huh? I'll have the next chapter much faster than this one, *if* you review, well even if you don't, because this story is fun for me. But make sure you review!!!!  
  
Review.  
  
Review.  
  
Review.  
  
Begging you to review,  
  
*Lily~Pad* 


	3. Fake Secrets and Embroidered Behinds

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Nope.  
  
Thanks everybody who reviewed!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.  
  
_____-----_____  
  
Mia was glad that James had suggested the beach. It was perfect for Phase One of Operation Bella & Remus.   
  
They had arranged to change and meet down in the entrance hall. Bella was changing in the bathroom, while Mia and Lily were in Mia's bedroom.  
  
"So what's Phase One?" Lily asked.  
  
"Well," Mia said, "We're going to have to get James and Sirius's help for it. I figure that if we get Bella into some sort of "danger" and Remus saves her, that that's a good start."  
  
"And we have to make sure Remus saves her. He's mad, too, you know."  
  
"I know. But of the pair, he's the sensitive one," Mia said, cracking a smile, "But any pair involving Bella...she's not going to be the sensitive one."  
  
"So we just have to count on the fact that Remus will save her?"  
  
"Well, no, not exactly. This is where they come in," she said, meaning James and Sirius.  
  
"Okay..."  
  
"They've always been good with prank stuff..."  
  
Lily sneered.  
  
"...so we get them to set up something that's really no danger, but it looks like it."  
  
"Alright..."  
  
"And then, lets say, I try to help, but I "can't". Then you do, and you "can't". Then Sirius does, and so on and so on. Then Remus is the only one left, and he'll have no choice but to do it. So we're--"  
  
"--pretty much guaranteed that he'll save Bella!" Lily finished, "Brilliant, Mia. Didn't know you had it in you."  
  
Mia was in the midst of chucking a pillow at Lily, when there was a pounding at the door.  
  
"Hey!" came Bella's voice, "You ready yet?"  
  
The girls looked at each other. Neither had their bathing suits on, they hadn't even gotten them out of their trunks.   
  
"Almost!" Lily called, cheerily.  
  
Lily and Mia rushed getting dressed. Bella, sweet girl that she was, did not like waiting.  
  
~~**~~  
  
Lily slipped into her signature black bikini. She was never seen at a pool, beach or lake without it. She brushed her hair, deciding to leave it down. She didn't really like it up, anyway.  
  
Mia, on the other hand, owned more swimsuits than you could count on two hands. She almost had enough to wear a different one every day that summer. She finally decided on a red one with white hibiscus flowers. She pulled her hair back into a knot, explaining that the breeze made it go all knotty.  
  
"Hurry up!" came the impatient voice of Bella.  
  
Lily bustled over to the door and yanked it open, harder than she meant to.  
  
"Whoa," Bella joked, "Trying to rip it off the hinges, Lil?"  
  
Mia was hunched over her trunk, apparently looking for something. Triumphantly, she pulled out a ratty pair of black shorts.  
  
"Cover up," she explained.  
  
"Oh, wait," Lily said, going back to her trunk, "I need one too."  
  
Lily dug, and dug, and dug, until she pulled out a pair of faded denim cut-off shorts.  
  
"Ready."  
  
~~**~~  
  
James, Sirius and Remus were getting impatient. Almost twenty minutes had passed, and the girls *still* weren't ready!!  
  
"It's only a bathing suit," James complained, "How long can it take?"  
  
"Maybe," Sirius said, grinning, "They just want to look beautiful for us."  
  
"Nah," James replied, "Lily doesn't care what she looks like around me."  
  
"Touchy, are we?" Remus asked.  
  
"So lets see," Sirius said, "Lily and James...not going to happen. Bella and Remus...she'd kill him first. So that leaves me and Mia. Looks like I'm the only one hooking up this summer!"  
  
"Oh, don't be so sure," James replied, smirking.  
  
"What? You think Lily's gonna come back to you?"  
  
"What? You think Lily can resist a whole summer of the Potter charm?"  
  
"She's resisted three years of it," Remus commented.  
  
"Shut up, Moony."  
  
~~**~~  
  
The girls (finally) were ready.   
  
Bella had donned a shockingly bright yellow bikini. Bella had always liked to shock people. Her dark hair, left down, contrasted beautifully with the bright colour.  
  
The girls walked down the stairs, giggling amongst themselves, all secretly wondering what the boys would look like in their swim trunks.  
  
Lily glanced at James. His jaw had nearly fallen at the sight of her. She was glad she still had that effect on him.  
  
Lily did a double take when she saw the boys. All three of them stood at the bottom of the stairs, looking at them smugly, wearing matching navy-blue swim trunks.  
  
"You trying to be twins?" she asked, raising a single eyebrow.  
  
The boys didn't reply, just smirked identically.  
  
Sirius turned around first. On the butt of his bathing suit, embroidered in white, said "Padfoot". James turned around next. His was the same, only it said "Prongs". Remus went last. He turned around to reveal "Moony" embroidered in pale yellow.  
  
"Oh Merlin," Bella groaned, "You're *still* going by those ridiculous nicknames?"  
  
~~**~~  
  
"Ridiculous?" Sirius asked, faking hurt feelings.  
  
"What do they mean, anyway?" Lily asked. When she and James had been going out, she often heard him refer to his friends by them. She always thought they were stupid, but never told him. A little part of her always wanted to know what they meant, but a bigger, stronger, Potter-hating part told her not to care. This time, the little part won.  
  
"That, m'dear, is classified information," James replied, smirking.  
  
Lily hated that smirk. That simple expression infuriated her to no end. She had always thought it was something he did to show superiority...something that, in the mind of Lily Evans, he did not have. Oh, back in the old days, she had adored it, had adored him, but things change. Feelings change. Hers sure did....didn't they?  
  
Bella smiled, showing superiority. "Fine, then. You have your little secret. But keep in mind, we've got our little secret. And oh, you'll want to know."  
  
Bella gestured to her "girls" and they followed her outside, down the path to the beach.  
  
"Damn, now I want to know!" James complained, "Maybe we should tell them. We're out of school, now..."  
  
"No," Remus said, sharply, "If we give in, they've got the upper hand."  
  
"Fine," Sirius groaned. He, too, wanted to know this secret that they would want to know. "How do they *always* get one step ahead of us?"  
  
~~**~~  
  
The boys eventually got down to the beach. They reasoned that this secret thing was not a big deal, but they were still excited about it.  
  
Lily, Mia and Bella were lounging on wooden beach chairs.  
  
"Bella!" Lily hissed, "We have no secret!"  
  
Bella waved her hand, as if this statement were a pesky fly. "Doesn't matter. They don't know that..."  
  
Lily grinned at Bella. She always got her way.  
  
The three girls hadn't noticed the boys had come down to the beach, until they were suddenly covered in sand.  
  
"Hey!" Lily exclaimed, spitting sand from her mouth.  
  
"Hi, Lily-kins," James said, sitting himself on Lily's chair.  
  
Sirius had seated himself on Mia's and Remus just stood in the sand, looking uncomfortable.  
  
"Oh, Remmy," Bella said, laughing, "Sit. We have a truce."  
  
Remus grinned at himself, and sat on Bella's chair.  
  
"So...," Sirius said, casually, "This secret. What might it involve?"  
  
"What might yours involve?" Bella shot back.  
  
"We'll give you a hint, if you give us one."  
  
"Okay," Bella agreed.  
  
Lily glared at Bella. Bella just waved her hand impatiently.  
  
"You first," Sirius prodded.  
  
"Okay," Bella said slowly, "Lily."  
  
"Lily? That's it?"  
  
"Yep. Yours?"  
  
"Okay...," Sirius said, obviously searching for a vague hint, "The letter 'A'"  
  
"The letter 'A'? That's an awful hint!!" Bella cried.  
  
"It's better than Lily! And we never said they had to be *good* hints!"  
  
Bella sighed.   
  
"Okay, fine. I'll give you another, better hint, if you will."  
  
Sirius considered the thought, ignoring the death glares from his friends.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Alright...better hint...Lily's *personal* life."  
  
~~**~~  
  
Her personal life? Why did Bella have to bring *her* personal life into it? Especially a fake one!   
  
Oh, well, Lily thought, Maybe atleast I'll get James jealous.  
  
~~**~~  
  
"Lily's personal life, eh?" James asked, interested. "How personal?"  
  
"Hey, that's all I'm saying," Bella said, "Your turn, Black."  
  
"Fifth year," he said.  
  
Bella thought for a moment. "Okay, something starting with the letter 'A' happened in fifth year."  
  
"Yeah," James said, "Lily Evans made *a* big mistake."  
  
_____-----_____  
  
I know, I know, I know. I never got around to Bella being in danger, but that'll be the next chapter. I promise. And all the "hint" stuff in this one (that sounds dumb now) will make more sense in the coming chapters. So you see, it's all setting up for the future.  
  
Yeah.  
  
Okay.  
  
So review, and I'll post.  
  
*Lily~Pad* 


End file.
